


Sick and Twisted Affair

by orphan_account



Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Blood and Gore, Jordan/Aleks side ship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 19:36:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1720142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life on the streets wasn't what he had in mind, but it was a life nonetheless. Still, that doesn't stop shit from hitting the fan, and when SuperNova moves into town, thrill isn't that far behind. Jeamus Gang AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sick and Twisted Affair

**Author's Note:**

> For Gabby, Ebba, and the rest of Creature Group who asked for this c:

Flashing lights colored the under-bridge; the approach of police and ambulances combine. Their noise was hollow to Seamus, the sound of his own blood behind his ears pumping rapidly drowning out any other sounds besides his labored breathing. Time was slow, impossibly slow, as he cradled the body in his arms closer to his chest—not caring if the blood soaked his clothes. Faintly, he could feel the sensation of tears on his face but everything was numb, detached. It wasn’t long before he felt hands prying him away from the body— _his body_.

Seamus screamed, the sound tearing through his throat as he lashed out; kicking and punching, even biting to try and keep his hold on the other. _They couldn’t take him away_. He couldn’t leave, not now. There was still so much to live for. _Why did he have to go_? There was a prick to his arm, but Seamus barely felt it. Within seconds, however, his body began to get heavy and a blackness surrounded his consciousness. Seamus’s blurry vision watched the EMTs place James’s body on a gurney and hoist it into the ambulance. Seamus’s barely-there consciousness took into account that the same was happening to him, and knew he wasn’t going to be placed in the same ambulance as James. Blearily, as he drifted, Seamus’s thoughts wandered back to the first time he had met the other; how unlikely their situation had been, and how quickly it had been taken away from them.

\--

Seamus had no idea what he was getting into when he decided to move into the city to live with his boyfriend of a year. They had known each other since the beginning of high school, and it was actually him that persuaded Seamus to join the gang he was in. His name was Eddie, but his street name was Sly. Seamus fell for his laugh, and his carefree manner—as if life itself couldn’t stop him from doing the things he wanted. Sly was made the gang leader after he dropped out of high school. Seamus was able to finish his senior year no problem, however.

After moving in with Eddie, Seamus noticed his more prompt diligence as the gang’s left hand. They dealt with all kinds of trades; mostly drugs and guns. The more their gang became active, the more the neighboring gangs took notice, and that meant that street fights became almost a regular occurrence. Things usually got disbanded by the cops before anything substantial happened, but broken bones and stitches were a very common happening. More practice for their proclaimed medic, Dan, he supposed.

Between gang events and work, Seamus was exhausted. Sly tried to coax Seamus into quitting his job—the gang reeling in enough money to pay for them, too—but Seamus liked the bit of normalcy in his life. It was almost a getaway, he supposed. Seamus had never in his wildest dreams believed he would be part of some gang running ramped in the street at night, but here he was two years out of high school doing just that. No, the blond had envisioned a relatively ordinary life for himself, but he supposed what actually came about was at least a bit more entertaining; the only down side being the death that happened every once in a while when they crossed out of their own territory.

Seamus had just gotten off work and was taking the bus home. Normally, he walked as work and home were only about a fifteen minute by foot to and from, but it was late and he was tired—working at a diner sometimes was. The blond was leaning his head against the window, trying not to think about who else had done the same when the bus jerked forward as they stopped, jostling him. He turned his ice blue eyes to the front of the bus, wanting to glare at the driver but having his gaze be blocked by a person boarding the bus.

Seamus probably would have thought nothing of it, however, he felt the man’s eyes land directly on him as soon as he was on the bus. The blond raised his eyes to meet the other man’s, a narrow suspicion in Seamus. The other man, tan skinned with black hair hidden under a beanie and chin lined with a beard, peered at him with a grin, his face almost smug. The man shook his arm deliberately, Seamus guessed, and it caught his attention enough to draw his eyes. The man pointedly pulled up his hoodie sleeve, revealing a tattoo lining his arm.

Had Seamus been just a normal college student, he doubtlessly would have thought nothing of it, but being that he was the left hand of a gang, he knew this man belonged to a neighboring mob, and was intruding on their territory with almost no regard for boundaries. He walked passed Seamus and took a seat at the back of the bus and the blond resisted the urge to touch the back of his neck where his own gang mark scarred his skin. His hair was covering it, anyway, but even though it was, Seamus had a feeling the other knew exactly what was there.

It was still a few minutes to his house and though Seamus was sure some enemies knew where their house was, the blond didn’t want to add this lunatic to the list. He looked wild, reckless. Seamus pulled the string to call his stop and meaningfully turned his eyes to the man at the back of the bus, catching his eyes quickly and realizing he had been staring at the blond. Seamus tilted his head mutely and walked off, not bothering to check if the man followed or not.

Walking into an alleyway, Seamus grazed his fingers over the pocket knife he carried on him at all times, hoping this meeting wouldn’t turn out with bloodshed. There would be no telling, though, since it was extremely brash to reveal his alliance on rival ground to the left hand of the gang which he undoubtedly had the knowledge of. The sound of crunching gravel behind him assured Seamus that the man had followed him off the bus, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

The blond stopped at a crossway in the alleys, giving himself more routes to escape if need be. He knew he was alone with Sly only a phone call or text away and members of their gang on just about every corner of the street—this rival, however, seemed to be alone and that was thoughtless. Especially in enemy territory. Seamus wouldn’t put anything past this guy, however. He was either extremely smart or overly confident. Maybe both.

Turning around toward the other, Seamus kept his chin high willing confidence to roll off him in waves. He was in his territory with more than a handful of members just nearby and only one enemy in sight. There was no danger here, even if the guy was a bit taller and wider than him. “You’re trespassing.”

“I sure am,” the guy answered, his arrogant grin only widening.

Seamus narrowed his eyes. “Outing yourself when your alone wasn’t very smart.”

“I’m never alone,” he shrugged, replying easily.

“What do you want?” the blond was getting irritated with the other’s lax attitude.

The man took a step closer. “I’m making myself known,” another step, Seamus fought the desire to take a step back. “Your boy toy’s been trading his drugs into _my_ territory, and that needs to stop,” his smirk took a vicious upturn, his eyes glaring.

“Keep a better patrol,” Seamus shrugged, ignoring the brand on Sly. His mouth was going to get him in trouble one of these days. “Your crew must not respect the name. Maybe they’re turning coats.”

“Heh,” the man dropped his head, shaking it in mock disbelief. “If only they were. Unfortunately, part of them are dead,” he brought his gaze back up and pierced Seamus with it.

The blond tried to stone his features, but he felt his eyes widen a fraction. Sly hadn’t mentioned any of this. Was he trying to expand? Why hadn’t he revealed this to Seamus? “You have proof it was us?”

A smirk played at the man’s lips, his eyes a cruel mockery. “The only proof I need is waiting to be sent back to their living relatives, or being cremated if they have none,” he shrugged simply and took short, deliberate steps forward. Seamus swallowed. “And I need you to do a favor for me.”

Oh, this wasn’t going to be good. The blond blinked, but otherwise stood still as the man continued his slow gait over. “I think I’ll pass. I’m not really the type of guy to hand out favors.”

The man stopped just short of ten feet from Seamus and the blond’s hand twitched for the knife in his pocket. “This one’s mandatory.”

Seamus didn’t give the other the pleasure of moving first. He swiftly took hold of and released the knife from its sheath, swaying it in the air in front of the man as Seamus took multiple steps forward. The guy could move, Seamus noted, as he was able to dodge every jab the blond delivered. A hand came up and the blond expected a blow to his arm so he lowered it, but the man only used it as a distraction to do a one-eighty around him and suddenly there came an arm around Seamus’s neck. The blond brought his knife wielding hand up automatically to stab at the offending appendage, but the man behind him caught his wrist and forced the knife out of his hand via pressure points.

Seamus brought his leg up to kick backward, his tennis shoe grazing the man’s thigh as he pushed the blond away. Too bad he hadn’t gotten the good spot. Seamus instantly rounded, bending his knees in anticipation. His knife was to his left, closer to his attacker. The blond waited for the other to make the first move this time, watching with calculating eyes his footing and hand movements. The man tried not to waste movement, almost as if he had been trained rigorously in extensive combat. Just as Seamus was going to try to determine his training, the man pounced at him, aiming a fist at the blond’s jaw.

Seamus ducked his head and used his forearm to push the knuckles away; using his other hand to hit the man in his gut, feeling tight muscles hidden underneath his baggy clothes. Now Seamus knew for a fact that he had some kind of training. Normal crunches and pushups didn’t give you _that_   kind of a body. The blond stepped to his left to inch closer to his knife as the man faltered for a split second. He must have known Seamus was going to move that particular way, though, because he dropped to the ground and kicked his leg out in a three-sixty. Seamus barely had the time to analyze before he jumped just in time to miss the trip, then sprang down to pick up his knife again.

Seamus looked up at his attacker, finding him stampeding toward him. The man crashed into him, but Seamus refused to go down, the man’s face in his chest as he forced the blond backward. The blond’s back crashed into a building none too gently and he knew he’d be feeling that tomorrow. Seamus brought his knife down toward the man’s side, embedding the knife there. There was a grunt and heavy pants coming from the man as Seamus worked the knife, twisting it around in its home. He was about to pull it out and stab it back into the same spot when the man grabbed his wrist again, working against Seamus’s muscles to force the blond’s arm back against the brick.

He was strong, Seamus would give him that. The blond kicked his leg up as reflex, using his other hand to push the man’s shoulder down to keep him in line, but his thigh was stopped with his attacker’s other hand. Clicking his tongue, Seamus flipped the switchblade in his hand and thrust it downward, landing it into the man’s hand. He lost his grip on it, however, and the other was easily able to pull his arm away and fling the glinting metal away before that same arm was pressed against Seamus’s neck, choking him. His hands reached up to pull at the arm denying his air, and kicked his feet uselessly. A few punches were delivered to his gut, causing Seamus to spit up before he was turned around against the wall, his face grazing painfully on the brick.

“Ahh,” he man breathed by his ear. “Now if you had just done this from the start, things would have been so much easier.”

“Easy doesn’t suit me,” Seamus bit back, clenching his jaw.

“It sure doesn’t,” the man laughed haughtily as he pressed his shoulder into Seamus’s back. “I want you to remember two things for me. One; my name is SuperNova. And two,” Seamus felt the man behind him, ‘SuperNova’, glide his fingers over his left arm, his touch almost delicate before they twisted into the skin of his forearm just before the wrist and just after his elbow. With a quick flex of his hands, Seamus’s arm snapped and a strangled cry came from the blond’s lips. “When your arm is healed, I’ll be back to get even with the body count, understand?”

His lips were right up against Seamus’s ear and the blond shuddered in disgust, but nodded his head. He felt a pat on his head, and then his body was released. “Good boy,” SuperNova derided, stepping away. “Don’t miss me, okay?”

Seamus turned his head with narrowed eyes at the other while holding his arm protectively against his side. SuperNova was backing out of the alleyway with a wave, his other hand holding his side where Seamus had stabbed him. When he reached the sidewalk, he turned and walked away casually, as if nothing had happened and he wasn’t bleeding out of his abdomen. Seamus carefully hobbled over to his knife, bending down to pick it up only causing slight muscle strain in his stomach. When it was safely back in his pocket, he pulled out his phone and speed dialed Sly.

He picked up on the second ring. _“Hey Babycakes!”_

Seamus let a smile slip onto his face as he leaned back against the brick, sliding down to sit with his knees huddled into himself. “Sly,” his tone was breathy and urgent.

Sly’s attitude changed instantly at the sound. _“Seamus, where are you?”_

The blond in question looked up though he knew there were no signs in the alley. “Fifth and Main. Usual spot.”

 _“I’ll be there in five,”_   came his heavy accent over the receiver and Seamus nodded before hanging up the phone.

It probably wouldn’t even be five minutes, he decided. If he was in trouble, he knew Sly would turn the world upside down to help him. Seamus blew out a puff of air, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He probably wouldn’t be able to go back to work for a couple weeks now. That was just great, not that he wouldn’t mind having Sly on his beck and call, but that also meant that Sly wouldn’t be paying much attention to the group—something SuperNova probably wanted. It seemed like he was well educated on their clan, not that it wasn’t to be expected. Sly’s gang rose to the top almost overnight; it was hard to just ignore that.

A blink later, he could hear the sound of a few people running into the alley. Seamus hoisted himself to his feet, being careful not to move his arm too much, just as Sly and two other groupies ran up to him.

“Seamus! What happened?!” Sly’s hands came up, but seemed hesitant to touch the blond. “Who did it?!”

“Why don’t you tell me, first, why you’re messing around in other territories before consulting me before hand?!” Seamus yelled, his eyebrows furrowing down over his eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Sly wondered with a look of confusion before it turned into annoyance. “C’mon, we need to get you fixed up.”

“No!” Seamus slapped the hand away that came up to his shoulder. “Now. We’re talking about this _now_.”

“What territory are you talking about?” Sly asked, perplexed.

“SuperNova,” Seamus muttered, glancing at the two groupies behind Sly when they began to shift on their feet at the mention of the name.

“Super—“ Sly instantly brought his hands up into his hair and furiously disheveled it. “That little teenage shit?!”

It was Seamus’s turn to look bemused at Sly. “He’s only a teenager?!” the blond didn’t want to think about the fact that his voice came out hoarse. “He’s got abs like Captain America!”

“That’s because he’s a military brat,” one of the men behind Sly pointed out. Seamus remembered his street name was Kootra—his actual name being Jordan. “He’s been trained by his dad since he was ten.”

“No wonder he was dodging my knife like a goddamn ninja,” Seamus gritted out, bringing his hand to his face.

Sly raised his hands once more, a look of surrender. “Listen, Seamus,” he started. “The only territory I’ve been into recently was Chilled’s. We’re ally’s remember?”

“Do _you_  remember that _I’m_   the one that set up that alliance?” Seamus glared up at his lover.

“Yes,” Sly breathed, but the way he drew the word out suggested otherwise.

Seamus sighed, his head tilting back with the groan. “We haven’t seen Chilled in four months, Sly. Rational thinking suggests SuperNova took over his territory. And you walked into it without knowing.”

“And now your arm is broken,” the other groupie, Dan, pointed out with an almost too entertained demeanor.

“Thank you Captain Obvious,” Seamus turned a deadpan stare to Dan before rolling his eyes back to Sly. “I need to go to the hospital. He literally took my arm in both of his hands and just snapped it.”

“Ouch,” came the group response from all three men.

“Thanks,” Seamus rolled his neck, kicking off the wall to start walking. “Did you bring the car?”

“Of course,” Sly smiled, quickly catching up to the blond and wrapping an arm around his shoulder casually.

Hospital visits were never Seamus’s favorite. He tried to stay away from the sterile smelling, white walls as much as he could. They took x-rays and wrapped his arm after determining that surgery didn’t need to be done to make sure the bone aligned correctly. They chose a green wrap after Seamus said it didn’t matter, and his Irish side bubbled a bit in disdain. By the time they had gotten back to Sly and Seamus’s house, town house really, it was well into the early morning hours. The four of them made themselves comfortable in the small kitchen, drinks all around.

“He said that after my arm’s healed, he’s going to get even on the body count,” Seamus looked at Sly expectantly as he took a drink of his booze. “People came at you and you _still_   didn’t realize it wasn’t Chilled’s land anymore?”

Sly twirled his glass on the island they surrounded, his eyes on the cup rather than Seamus. “It only happened after we were done selling. They came at us, we pulled our knives out and shit happened.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me _because_?” the blond urged, his voice coming out miffed.

Sly brought his hands out to gesture. “It just kind of slipped my mind!”

Seamus threw his glass across the room, standing from his chair. “How does that just _slip your mind_ , Sly?!” he shouted, leaning on the island with his good hand. “Something like that just can’t be tossed aside like garbage! Shit like this happens when you do,” he shoved his arm in Sly’s face in example.

“I’m sorry!” Sly retorted, looking up at Seamus with helpless sorrow. “You’re right, I should have told you, but I didn’t and this happened,” he motioned to Seamus’s arm. “Shit, Seamus,” he stood up and made to hug the blond, but Seamus stepped back.

“No,” he snapped. “You can be sorry all you want, but this,” Seamus shook his arm a few times, causing the injury to throb. “This deserves better. This isn’t the first time you’ve fucked up, Sly. It probably won’t be the last, either,” Seamus turned his lip up at the thought, his head beginning to form a headache. “Dan, set me up for a couple nights?”

Dan turned his gaze cautiously from Seamus to Sly before nodding his head. “Sure.”

Seamus moved to the kitchen entrance and Dan followed before Sly was out of his chair, walking them to the door. “Seamus, you’re not …,” he looked away for a split second before returning his eyes to Seamus’s. “You’re not leaving the group, are you?”

It wasn’t the first question on his mind, the blond knew, but Seamus was thoroughly amused that he had changed it last second. “Not unless I want to be decapitated. You, on the other hand,” Seamus gave Sly a once over, appraising. “I very well might be. Let’s go, Dan.”

Dan followed Seamus out and shortly after Kootra tagged along, leaving Sly alone to mourn. Seamus snuffed down the melancholy that tried to overturn his emotions. It was Sly’s fault he was in this mess. Actually, it was Sly’s fault he was part of a mob in the first place. It hadn’t been Seamus’s first pick of after high school things to do, but it’s what he decided to partake in because he was head over heels. What crazy things teenagers did when they thought they were in love.

The next month and a half were a whirlwind of chaos; getting resources and intel on ‘SuperNova’ as well as trying to find out what the hell happened to their ally, Chilled. After staying a couple nights at Dan’s house, Seamus had gone back to his house with Sly. They ended up discovering that ‘SuperNova’ took out the majority of Chilled’s group, taking what men were left and killed the man off. He had turned up in the river weeks ago, but his face had been so unrecognizable that no one had claimed the body. That was gonna cut back on revenue _big time_.

Chilled had controlled most of the upper city, and now it was under new control whom Sly had fucked over. In other words, immediate enmity. Seamus had swore up and down the house the entire day when he found out; having been cooped up for two weeks already at the time. He had spent the remainder of his time rerouting drop off and pick up sites as well as buying grounds. Having Chilled gone also meant a dent in their man power—they were down at least thirty percent now.

“Shit,” Seamus muttered to himself as the doctor cut the cast from around his arm, immediately dragging his nails on this skin when it was free.

“I don’t think I need to remind you, but just in case,” the doctor began as he tossed the bandage in the trash. “Don’t strain your arm for another week at the least. I’d recommend two, but I know how you can be. Just try and go easy on it.”

Seamus scoffed, hopping off the cot to twist his arm around. “Only when I’m dead, doc.”

The doctor grinned, nodding. “I expected nothing less. Take care, Seamus.”

“Thanks.”

It had been another week and a half before SuperNova came around their normal hang out, a truck of bodies deposited at their door step.

“Twelve, to be exact,” he said, sitting on the cab of the truck with his feet resting in the bed. “Now we’re even.”

Sly stood his ground, narrowing his eyes at the other. “And what about his arm? We gonna get even for that?”

SuperNova reclined back, shrugging his shoulders once. “That was for giving me sixteen stitches in my side,” he pulled up his shirt to show the small jagged line of a scar.

Seamus inwardly patted himself on the back. “Well, now you can scram. We don’t need you skulking about here.”

The man’s eyes drew to Seamus, and the blond could practically feel amusement radiating off him. “I think we still have business to discuss.”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” Seamus snapped instantly, clenching his jaw. “Leave now. You’ve made your point. No trespassing.”

SuperNova merely stood up and walked off the truck, pocketing his hands as the two men from the side of the truck came to stand behind him, each adorning a tattoo on their right arm. “I’ve become aware that I took over some territory that you had been using to transfer goods,” he went on, ignoring the blond. “Which is why my men were killed, and why you now have bodies to dispose of.”

“We’ve worked the situation out,” Sly replied calmly, crossing his arms.

The dark haired man leaned forward and back, raising an eyebrow. “But that must have cost you, huh? Can’t be nearly as much as you were bringing in before.”

“Like I said, the situation has been worked out,” Sly repeated crossly. “We’re done here.”

“No hospitality what-so-ever,” the man wailed dramatically, shaking his head. “I’ll be seeing you around.”

The statement was aimed at the group, Seamus knew, but SuperNova’s eyes had been on him the entire time. The blond narrowed his own in suspicion as they boarded and left in the truck, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. Everyone had been hyperaware the rest of the day, choosing to keep the warehouse door closed just in case. Seamus was milling about with product when Sly approached him. The majority of the group was up near the poker tables while the two were in the back corner, the lighting more dim.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us, Sly,” Seamus said casually as he marked the bag of coke and set it with the other accounted product.

“We sure do,” Sly agreed quickly, chafing his hands together. “Listen, Seamus,” he started, trailing off and running a hand over the back of his neck.

Seamus turned his attention away from stocking and focused on Sly, licking his lips and leaning back against the crate. “What’s it this time? Because whenever you say that, you’re definitely going to warn me of something.”

Sly shook his head hastily, waving his hands. “It’s not…,” he began once more, groaning in frustration. “That guy,” he looked up into Seamus’s blue irises. “Stay away from him.”

Seamus furrowed his eyebrows, his expression tight. “Because he’s the leader of a rival gang or because you don’t want him to fuck me?” the blond accused, standing from the crate. “Because the last I remember, I called it off between us, Sly. We’re done. I’m not doing it again.”

“Stop playing this off,” Sly raised his voice, stepping closer. “I get that we’re not a thing anymore. But I _saw_   the way he was looking at you today. He’s bad news bears, Seamus,” he insisted, placing his hands on the blond’s shoulders. “Just keep away from him.”

“Yes, dear,” Seamus shrugged Sly’s hands off him, turning back to his work. “I wasn’t planning to get close to him. He’s a mob boss. I’m not doing that shit again.”

Sly looked down, but nodded. “You’re still my best friend, Seamus. Just worried about you.”

The blond threw down the clipboard he had been using, running a hand through his hair to get the strands out of his face. “I’m not a child, Sly. I can take care of myself.”

“I know!” the Puerto Rican nodded again, holding his hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t saying you couldn’t. I just need to look out for the group, too, you know? Shit’s piling up and it’s not gonna get any easier.”

Seamus huffed, placing a hand on his hip as he looked away. “You think I don’t know that? Rerouting all our shit took a hell of a lot of time and money.”

“Which is why you’re the brains of this operation,” Sly smiled, laughing. “Couldn’t do it without you, dude.”

“You’d be in the gutter somewhere, that’s for sure,” Seamus raised an eyebrow at Sly, his lip twitching up on one side.

The next couple weeks were relatively calm. They made sure to keep in their borders, but Seamus was also keeping track of Nova’s business transactions and truck routes. Somehow ‘SuperNova’ became just ‘Nova’ for the blond. Probably because he couldn’t be asked to say ‘super’. Not that it mattered, anyway, Seamus later told himself after mulling over it.

It was late one night, around eleven, when Seamus was scouting out more of Nova’s trucks on top of a building across the street. He had his binoculars and a pad of paper and pencil with him to write down his observations. It was guns again; being a military kid must have its perks. He was scribbling down his sightings when he heard a voice behind him.

“Like what you see?” it wasn’t condescending, but Nova did have a grin on his face when Seamus turned around to face him.

“It’s impressive,” was the blond’s simple reply.

Nova nodded, walking toward him. Seamus tensed his shoulders, never taking his eyes off the man as he strut over to stand next to the blond and look down at his men at work. “Three crates of M16A2s and five crates of Mark23s plus silencers,” the dark haired man tilted his head in Seamus’s direction, rolling his eyes to stare at the blond.

“And you’re telling me this because?” Seamus asked, distrust marring his voice.

Nova shifted his chin in the direction of Seamus’s notepad. “You’re tracking, right? It’s what you do.”

Seamus resisted the urge to hide the pen scrawling, pressing his lips in a tight line before he replied, “How long have you been watching us?”

Nova glanced at his men one last time before fully turning to Seamus, considering him. “Four months before I broke your arm was the beginning, after I acquired the territory from Chilled.”

“You mean after you killed him and then tossed him in the river with cement shoes?” Seamus reproached, pointing angrily at the man.

Nova simply shrugged, working his jaw. “Chilled was supposed to hand the land over in exchange for three mil. I gave him the money and he never forked over the land.”

“What..?” Seamus murmured disbelievingly, blinking a few times. “You _payed him off_?”

The other man raised his molten eyes to Seamus’s, lifting his eyebrows in answer. “It was a shame, too. Chilled was a good mercenary.”

Seamus tightened his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white. “Now you come in here and think you run the city just because you got the most territory. Fucking pathetic,” he spat.

There was a glint to Nova’s eyes and Seamus braced himself for an attack, but it never came. Nova stood relaxed, his posture strangely casual for the stand-offish atmosphere. He smirked. “Why don’t you join my crew, Seamus?”

Seamus scoffed. “So I can get sent to the bottom of the river when I don’t do something right?” he shook his head, crossing his arms. “No thanks.”

“C’mon,” the man drawled, stepping around and wrapping an arm around Seamus’s neck, closing his hand tight around the blond’s shoulder. “I’ve seen the way your clan works. You run that group, not Sly. We could use somebody like that.”

Seamus resisted the urge to shove the man off, remembering how toned he was. “It’s only natural. I’m the brain and Sly’s the brute,” he explained as he massaged his forearm, the one that had been broken.

The motion didn’t go unnoticed by Nova. “Hurts, huh? Must sense that I’m near.”

“Thanks for that,” Seamus rolled his eyes, thumbing his skin tenderly.

“Well, _thank you_ , for the scar,” Nova grinned, his expression almost affectionate and it unsettled Seamus’s stomach.

The blond swallowed the lump in his throat, contemplating. “Why do you want me to join your gang?”

Nova stepped away, but held his hand on Seamus’s shoulder, giving what the blond had to guess was a reassuring squeeze. “Seaaa-mus,” he drew out his name and it stirred something in the blond. “I told you, you’re smart. There’s a kid in the group named Ze. Smart little fucker. Best bomb professional I know. You’d like him.”

“Stop using my name,” Seamus said flatly, brushing the hand off his shoulder with one of his own. He didn’t miss the linger of the other’s fingers, either. “PKC is fine, but not my name. I’m not in your rodeo.”

“Yet,” Nova felt the need to point out. He took a few steps back, his eyes prolonged over Seamus’s body. “Keep it in mind, though. Would really love to have you around.”

Seamus watched with a tight expression as Nova eased out the door to the roof, smirking before he disappeared. The blond leaned down and picked his paper and pen up before looking over the ledge to see the dark haired man coming out of the building. In return, Nova looked up and grinned instantly when he saw Seamus staring back, proceeding to wink at the blond. Seamus’s face heated and he stumbled back a few steps, placing a hand over his mouth as he grit his teeth. What an overconfident asshole.

Seamus berated himself every day after that, however, when he _actually_   contemplated the idea of joining Nova. In all honesty, he was a lot better off than Sly was—more land, better access to equipment and more income if that last haul was anything to go by. Could he really just up and leave his current gang, though? He didn’t have any strong connections besides Sly, of course, and it was only a matter of time before Nova took over Sly’s group, too. Seamus was sure of that, so why not start early? But if he did leave, would that mean that The Hounds would disband and follow him to Nova’s group—aptly named The Creatures.

Seamus stewed over this for a week before Nova found him once more; on the bus home from work and the dark haired man didn’t even flinch when he sat in the seat next to the blond, leaning back comfortably. Seamus pondered the man a moment before looking over with a quirked eyebrow and a question in his expression.

“Déjà vu, huh?” he chuckled, crossing his arms.

“One that hopefully doesn’t end with me and a broken arm,” Seamus replied snappily, turning his head back toward the window. “You’re trespassing again.”

“And you’re alone again,” was his retort.

“Are you threatening me?” the blond said in hushed tones, looking around to the occupants of the bus.

“Why would I threaten a member candidate?” Nova shrugged, knocking his elbow into Seamus’s bicep.

It got the blond’s attention and he whipped his head around to glare at the other. “You still think I’ll join your circus party?”

Nova nodded. “We freaks have to stick together.”

“Move. I’m getting off,” Seamus reached up to pull the cord for the bus, but the man next to him reached out and clasped his fingers tightly around the blond’s wrist.

“Not yet,” he breathed into Seamus’s ear, setting the captured appendage back down on the blond’s knee. “Just hear me out, will ya?”

Seamus grit his teeth together, running his hand over his face in exasperation. “Not much of a choice on my end.”

Nova made a noise in the back of his throat. “If you came into my group willingly, I’d set you up as tracker. Much more land at your expense, and so many more revenue methods. Hell, you could even be my left hand if you wanted.”

Seamus looked at the bus seat in front of him, licking his lips in thought. “What about the kid that follows you around like a lost puppy? Brown hair, nose that looks broken?”

“Aleks,” Nova supplied. “He’s not technically my second. I don’t have one. Aleks just likes to keep close.”

An amused chuckle slid passed Seamus’s lips. “You mean he likes you?”

Nova burst out laughing, slapping a hand over his knee which drew a bit of scornful eyes. The dark haired man raised his own irises and glowered back, turning them all back around before he moved his attention to his seat partner. “Aleks doesn’t like me, I know for a fact,” he stood up and pulled the cord Seamus had earlier reached for. “Follow me.”

 _Curiosity killed the cat_ , Seamus told himself as he stood up from the seat and scooted his way to the front of the stopping bus.

They walked in silence after exiting the bus and ended up at a parking garage just at the border of their territories. Nova waved his hand at Seamus who was ogling the site, taking in the details and surveying the area. Their footsteps echoed in the mostly empty garage as they went up three floors, using the elevator to lift them. Once the doors to said operating machine opened, the dark haired man jogged out with his hands in his hoodie pocket to look over the railing. He ushered Seamus over hastily, using that same hand to fix the beanie atop his head.

“There, look,” he pointed out into the darkness and Seamus followed the direction.

“Is that,” Seamus stopped, tilting his head in enquiry, placing his own hands on the cement railing in front of him. “Is that Jordan?”

Nova nodded, though Seamus barely took notice as he watched Jordan and who he had to guess was Aleks run from shadow to shadow, looking behind them as if to make sure they weren’t being followed, all the while holding hands. “Sure is. Aleks, too. They think I don’t know. Fuckers.”

The words were harsh, but the look on his face was warm, Seamus realized as he turned his head toward the other. “They’re seeing each other in secret?”

Nova nodded again, moving his gaze to the blond without craning his neck. “Have been for a few months at best.”

“Sly doesn’t know,” Seamus heard himself admitting, blinking up at Nova.

“What makes you say that?” his question was almost feigned confusion, his lips lifting up slightly in a smirk.

Seamus turned his eyes back to the two shadows, now farther away from them. “He would never let Jordan sleep around with someone from a different clan. It’s like betrayal to him.”

“Better keep this to yourself, then,” Nova muttered, shifting out of Seamus’s peripheral.

“Yeah because bringing this up to Sly was my … first,” Seamus slowed his speech until it eventually stopped when he turned his head to give Nova a bored look only to find the man gone from sight. “Nova?” he lifted himself from the railing, fully turning around.

That was strange, but not unexpected. Nova was gone as quickly as he came and Seamus shrugged his shoulders. Now he just needed to get home and try to forget Jordan was committing a offense in the eyes of Sly. He walked casually back toward the elevator, his head tilted down slightly. It was when he was turning a corner that it happened; he bumped into Nova, their foreheads knocking while their lips brushed together. Seamus stumbled backward, his hand instantly going to his mouth to cover his lips.

“You kissed me!” Seamus chided angrily, pointing a finger at the dark haired man.

“Technically, you ran into me,” Nova clarified, raising an eyebrow and cocking his lips up in a grin.

“But you did it on purpose,” Seamus leaned forward menacingly. “You waited there until I was turning the corner.”

Nova shrugged, looking away uninterested. “What proof do you have?”

“Asshole!” the blond shouted, stomping around the other. “Why did I _ever_   consider joining your crew?!”

Nova rounded on the heel of his right foot, keeping his gaze on Seamus. “Because you know it’d be a wise future investment. Sly’s little group isn’t going to go anywhere. But mine? It’ll be here until your grandchildren are old.”

Seamus stopped, huffing out. “Not having kids. Good try, though.”

“Offer still stands,” Nova called after him as the blond stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the first floor.

Seamus pocketed his hands as he walked home, the night slightly cooler than when he had first gotten off work. One thing that just didn’t make sense to him was why Nova decided to keep Jordan and Aleks’s relationship a secret. He had known about it as soon as it started, it seemed, and yet he decided not to break it up. Why? Surely he must know what kind of consequence that could have if Sly or even other clan members found out? Was he planning to use the information, or was he just letting them have their fun?

Seamus pinched the bridge of his nose and assured himself it wasn’t as if he absolutely needed to know—he just liked being one step ahead of the game. And there _had_   to be a reason; there always was. But Seamus decided not to waste more time thinking about it and set about what he _really_   wanted to accomplish. They had gathered information up on Nova, but nothing substantial and nothing the blond wholly believed. The fact that he had either been in the military or was just the son of a military man was true enough; his fighting prime case.

They found the name Antonio—no last name—and a sorry excuse for a background. The only record they could find of him started when he came into Chilled’s land. It was suspicious, to say the least, but most of the crew brushed it off; it wouldn’t be the first time a no-name came into power. Seamus felt differently. There was something Nova was hiding, the blond could tell. It was just with the way he carried himself and the subtle but there expressions he used every so often when Seamus was paying attention. He didn’t act like the leader of a vicious gang; more like a commander over an army troop. Where they really that different, though? And the analogy fit, in hindsight, since the man seemed to have come from military background.

Seamus rubbed his face in annoyance as he sat down in his room, having been back from his unprompted meeting with Nova for a few hours. He had all of the information on the man in front of him on his desk, but pieces were just not adding up. Why would he suddenly become the leader of a gang—and how? Was he doing it to piss off his parents? Sly had said he was a teenager, which surprised him more than anything. A teenager with no name for himself on the street became the leader of a gang overnight; one of the largest in the city. That doesn’t just happen, even if he _had_   extensive military training.

The next meeting Seamus had with Nova, the blond initiated himself. He stood waiting on top of a building across from The Creature’s largest hangout wondering if Nova would actually show up like Seamus assumed he would. The blond wasn’t disappointed when just a few minutes later, Nova was walking up next to him, a silence falling comfortably over them. Seamus in no way trusted the man, but it was easily peaceful around him. The blond didn’t know whether to be intrigued or troubled by the information.

“Long time no see,” Nova finally said after a short while, his only motion blinking.

“I’m sure that’s only one sided,” Seamus replied, tilting his head toward the other slightly.

“Insinuating that I’m keeping a watch on you?” Nova raised an eyebrow, twisting at his hip to glance at the blond.

Seamus stared at Nova’s brown eyes for a moment before looking back down over the building. “Just a feeling I had.”

From the side of his vision, Seamus watched Nova nod before turning back the way he was. “What kind of man would I be if I just let the enemy do as they pleased without keeping lookout?”

“Is that the military talking?” Seamus pondered aloud.

A chuckle sounded deep within Nova’s chest, a sound that made Seamus’s skin tingle. “Could be.”

The blond turned fully toward the other, crossing his arms. “How long’d you serve?”

If Nova was surprised by the question, he didn’t show it, merely pursed his lips. “Two tours in Iraq.”

Seamus narrowed his eyes. “So … what?” he leaned on his left leg, jutting his hip out. “You turn seventeen, they send you to war?”

“I’ll be twenty this year,” Nova said matter-of-factly, his jaw tightening. “I was deployed just before my eighteenth birthday,” he breathed deeply and closed his eyes as if reliving memories before he tipped his head and then turned to look at Seamus. “What makes you so interested?”

The question would have come off defensive if not for the grin and amused look in the other’s eyes. Seamus swallowed. “I like to know people before I work under them. You’re not any different.”

“You do background checks on everyone you meet?” his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Mostly,” Seamus shrugged.

“Sly?”

Seamus lifted his gaze back to Nova’s at the mention of Eddie’s street name, the silence lingering for a whole of a minute before he answered. “I was in high school when I met Sly. It was different back then.”

“So no background check on him, then,” Nova nodded, assuring his answer.

“I’ve known him for several years,” Seamus found himself saying, almost as if to defend Sly’s credibility. “There’s nothing he does that I don’t know about.”

“Except for the drug run that got your arm broken,” Nova decided to point out, lowering his gaze to said arm that pulsed in response at its mention.

“Chilled was in our alliance,” Seamus retorted. “It wouldn’t have been a problem if some nutcase military brat hadn’t taken him out.”

Nova’s jaw clenched once more, his eyebrow twitching as he assessed Seamus. “You two are close. Or, you were.”

Seamus’s breath stilled for a heartbeat before picking up again. It wasn’t unforeseen that he knew, but the fact that he brought it up was. “Had been,” was his only comment on the matter.

Nova turned away from the ledge of the building to face Seamus, taking a few steps closer. “What happened to make the trusting puppy bite its owner?” the black haired man mocked, a calculating look in his eyes.

Seamus’s hands constricted in their respective pockets, his eyebrows furrowing. “People change.”

“You, or him?” Nova asked swiftly, gradually striding over to the blond until he was just a few feet away.

Seamus considered him a moment. “Maybe we both did.”

“And you’re here now, because?” Nova slanted his head down and to the side, looking at Seamus through his eyelashes.

“Considering my options,” the blond said easily, his hands relaxing in his jeans.

Nova hummed in appraisal, switching is gaze from Seamus to the cement roof. “Good,” he bobbed his head, lifting his hand between them.

Seamus eyed his hand cautiously, knowing he’d have to use the arm that was broken to shake. “This doesn’t mean I’m joining your crew.”

“Just considering the option,” Nova nodded once more, agreeing. “No rush. But you know, the sooner the better,” he shrugged.

Seamus took his hand from his pocket and extended it, capturing Nova’s hand in his own firmly, shaking once. He planned to pull back as soon as their hands came on the down swing, but Nova pulled on his arm, causing him to stumble forward into the other’s sturdy weight. Seamus gritted his teeth against the ache in his bone and made to remove himself from the situation, but a hand at his back prevented his movement. Said hand patted him on his shoulder blades a good few times before he was released.

“What is with you and being physical?” Seamus wondered crossly as he straightened his clothes, glaring at the other.

“Keeps people guessing,” Nova replied simply, staring meaningfully at Seamus.

“I would be a fool not to,” the blond countered, biting his cheek.

“Smart man,” Nova expressed, tilting his head away as he looked back over the ledge of the building. “We should do this again soon.”

“I won’t be making a habit of it,” Seamus answered.

“Then I will,” the dark haired man responded, grinning wickedly at the blond.

Seamus watched him leave with an uneasiness settling over his gut. A few answers were given to him tonight, but more questions just seemed to pop up in their place. Sly was right about one thing; Nova appeared to be bad news. But was that just his paranoia acting up, or was there some sort of truth behind it? The considerations bothered Seamus for a whole of two weeks until things came to a head and he once again met Nova, but under different and complicated circumstances.

Sly had gathered a mini horde and rampaged into one of many of Nova’s hangouts, where they knew the dark haired man to be biding his time. Their numbers were about evenly matched, but they were in their territory and Seamus knew for a fact that they had a warehouse full of ammunition and machine guns just two blocks away. He had told Sly this, but the Puerto Rican had blocked out his words in anger. It made Seamus wonder what he had _ever_   seen in Sly, but then he would remember the man’s grins and his laugh and then remind himself that Sly was a man willing to do anything for money and power.

“You’re selling on my land!” Sly yelled as soon as they entered the hangout, his metal baton skidding across the cement loudly. “Puta!”

“Now, now,” Nova held up his hands in mock surrender, easily jumping off a crate he had been sitting on top of, two men immediately taking up his flank. “Demand is high, my friend. I can’t help that your people come to me for their goods.”

“It’s on my land, half the profit is mine,” Sly growled, his fists clenched tight and his expression livid.

Nova moved his hands to his hips, contemplating with his eyes raised to the ceiling before looking back at Sly with a devious smirk. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Sly took a step forward, raising the baton. “Excuse me?”

“Sly,” Seamus warned, glancing between the two.

“I said,” Nova started, enunciating the words slowly as if speaking to a five year old. “I. Cannot. Do. That.”

“Hijo de puta!” Sly shouted, motioning for the guys behind him to attack.

“No, wait!” Seamus yelled, trying to stop them, but they only hesitated for a second before Nova’s men were coming at them. “Damnit!”

Fists were flying and knives were slicing, trying to touch skin in all the wrong ways. In the middle of a fight with someone he didn’t recognize, Seamus glanced over to where Nova and Sly were going at it; Sly swinging his baton and missing for the most part. There was a resounding slap of metal against skin and Seamus faltered for a moment as his eyes widened, taking in the sight of Nova on the ground, belly down and unmoving as Sly raised his baton with its aim set on Nova’s neck.

“Sly, no!” Seamus yelled, a panic setting over him.

The blond was tackled for lowering his defense, but the pain was numb compared to the picture of Nova face down on the ground motionless. Thankfully, Seamus’s scream gained Sly’s attention and he moved to free Seamus from the hold his attacker had on him. In that small amount of time, Seamus watched over Sly’s shoulder as Aleks lifted Nova’s arm around his neck and pulled him up, the dark haired man coughing up blood but alive.

“I think they get the message, Sly,” Seamus moved his eyes to the man in front of him, his eyebrows creased and his lips tight.

Said man twisted his body around to glare and pull his lips back in a snarl. “This isn’t over!”

Aleks sneered at Sly as he leaned heavily, supporting Nova’s weight. “Then why are you running away, bitch?”

Sly made to stand, but Seamus held him back with his hand on the inside of the other man’s elbow. “Leave it, Sly. They’ve had enough!” the blond said as he waved a hand at all the people lying belly down on the ground; most of them part of Nova’s pack.

Sly spit his distaste at Aleks and Nova’s shoes before he offered his hand to Seamus. The blond, however, stood up on his own, patting his hands on his pants twice. “Let’s get out of here,” Sly murmured as he skulked passed Seamus, keeping his vision down.

Seamus chanced one more look at Nova, being surprised when the other was staring at him, too. He mouthed a ‘thank you’ and Seamus nodded, his expression undecided before he turned and followed Sly out. It only took ten minutes to get back into their territory and that’s when Seamus stopped Sly with a hand on his shoulder and a livid expression.

“What the fuck was that back there?!” Seamus yelled as they stood on the corner of the sidewalk.

Sly looked around the area before he dragged Seamus away from the rest of the retreating group and took him into a nearby alley. “You heard me, right? Those bastards were selling on our land!”

“And what were you doing a few months ago?” Seamus retorted, slapping Sly’s hand off his arm.

“That was before I knew Chilled was dead!” Sly shouted, running his bloody hands through his hair in frustration.

“Bullshit!” Seamus thrust his hand in the air then proceeded to agitatedly rub his face with the same hand. “I know you’re not just a good looking guy, Sly. If there is _anything_   I learned while we were together it’s that you’re smart. Maybe oblivious, but smart. You had to have known that there was something up when we didn’t hear from Chilled in so long.”

Sly kept his mouth shut, but Seamus saw his adams apple dip as he swallowed. Seamus advanced on Sly until the Puerto Rican was against the wall, holding his hand out. “Seamus, I … I didn’t—“

“Fuck you, Sly!” Seamus wound his arm back and snapped it, letting his fist crack with Sly’s jaw and feeling satisfied when the man fell to the ground. “You knew the entire time, but you kept quiet! And because you did, I had some arrogant asshole break my arm!”

“Seamus!” Sly spit out blood, looking up at the blond as he held his jaw protectively. “It’s not like that!”

“Yeah?! Then what’s it like?!” Seamus’s fists were clenched tight at his sides, his chest heaving as he panted. “Fuck!” he shouted, tilting his head back so his voice escaped into the sky. “That’s it! I’ve had it. I’m moving out.”

“Seamus, please,” Sly pleaded, getting himself to his knees.

“No!” the blond shook his head. “There’s nothing you can say to change my mind. I won’t be around the group for a few days, so tell everyone to kindly fuck off!”

Seamus could still hear Sly calling for him even after he vacated the alley and marched anywhere but there. He didn’t know where he was gonna stay, but it wouldn’t be that much of a problem; he’d even stay under the stars if he had to. Seamus stomped all the way to the river before he took a deep breath and let it out, rubbing the tips of his fingers over his eyes; a sudden exhaustion taking over him. Now he had to think about finding his own place and maybe trying to find a better job to support said place. Seamus groaned in frustration as he knelt down, putting his head between his knees and a hand over the back of his neck.

In the end, he stayed at the river for a good few hours until the sun started to sink. The water was beginning to attract bugs and Seamus didn’t really feel comfortable in the grass any longer. Before he knew where his feet were taking him, he wound up on the roof of the building across from the hangout Nova usually buzzed around. He had just leaned his hands on the cement ledge when he heard now familiar footsteps behind him and he wondered idly when they had become recognizable.

Seamus blinked before turning and sitting on the ledge, eyeing Nova carefully as he made his way over. There was a small limp, but it wasn’t from a leg injury. He was stiff when he walked, which made Seamus wonder if it was a chest problem. “Sly gave you hell.”

“Three bruised ribs and one broken,” Nova nodded, reaching down to the hem of his shirt and lifting it up to reveal the gauze underneath.

Seamus clicked his tongue, looking away and chewed his lip. “Fuck it,” he whispered in an undertone as he lifted himself off the building’s ledge and rushed Nova.

Seamus had the man pinned to the wall in five steps, taking his fists and tangling them in Nova’s shirt as he pressed his lips rough onto the other’s. There was a muffled gasp from Nova as his back hit the wall abruptly; the pain in his ribs causing his mouth to open to protest and Seamus took his opportunity to weave his tongue into the wet cavern. He tasted like artificial fruit as if he had just eaten candy or drank one of those nasty gas station slushies, but Seamus put it out of his mind as he delved deeper. He tilted his head sideways, working his tongue over the other’s teeth and gums.

When he pulled back, Nova started down at him a bit glazed. “Tongue ring?”

Seamus held his tongue out for the other to try to see in the bad light and breathed heavily out of his nose. “Sly,” was his only explanation.

Nova’s eyebrows lifted once in understanding, rolling his eyes. Seamus took that time to move his head back in but skipped the other’s reddened lips to work on his bearded jaw and neck instead. “You must have been head-over-heels.”

Seamus stopped long enough to reply with, “People do stupid shit when they’re teenagers.”

Nova grunted as he shoved off the wall and rounded them so Seamus was pushed against the wall with the dark haired man looming over him, a wild smirk playing at his lips. “And apparently they don’t learn from their past endeavors.”

Seamus peered up at Nova unabashedly with a shrug. “What can I say? Glutton for punishment.”

Nova breathed out his nose in amusement, a hum rumbling his chest as he leaned forward and took Seamus’s lips with his own. It was sloppy, heated and passionate with lust. Seamus had his hands on Nova’s hips, pulling him closer eagerly. One of Nova’s hands rested next to Seamus’s head on the wall while the other held the blond’s neck, gripping tight as they kissed and bruised each other’s lips. Nova broke away and licked his way up Seamus’s cheek to his ear, nibbling the lobe before planting several kisses on the skin behind it.

Seamus shuddered and Nova grinned against his flesh. “You didn’t plan to fuck on top of a roof with no preparation?”

The blond panted and ground his hips forward into Nova’s, throwing his head back in pleasure. “I did actually.”

“Come back to my place,” Nova breathed over his ear, sending electricity all throughout Seamus’s nerves.

A dazed but hasty nod later found the pair, hand in hand, making their way down the stairs of the building and out into the street where they stole kisses and quick, sidelong glances. It was a few blocks before they came up to an apartment building. The outside was kind of dingy, Seamus noticed, but the inside was nice and polished. They took the elevator up; Nova pushing Seamus against the wall for a grope and attacking lips as they ascended to his floor. Nova led them out of the metal box when it finally came to a halt and strode over to a giant sliding door.

Seamus blinked back his surprise when the dark haired man dragged the door back to expose a rustic looking studio apartment. “Damn.”

“C’mon,” Nova crowded behind Seamus, pressing his body against the blond’s as his lips moved across his neck. “More to see than just this dump.”

The promise had Seamus moving forward out of Nova’s hold to wander into the apartment, his eyes roaming all around the space. It was wide open, like all studios are, but the wood beams and panels that looked worn and aged made the place look homey and inviting. Nova watched with an entertained expression as he closed the door before he made his way over to the drifting blond, catching his wrist and pulling him back against his chest.

“Bedroom’s up stairs,” Nova muttered into Seamus’s hair, his eyes closed as he took in the other’s scent.

“There’s an upstairs?” Seamus wondered aloud, looking around until he spotted the floating staircase.

Seamus found a hand in his and then he was being led up those stairs to the second floor. There were three doors when they got to the top, and the last one on the left they entered. Seamus didn’t get much time to ogle as Nova spun him around and brought their lips together hurriedly, their teeth knocking as they connected. Nova stepped forward, forcing Seamus to step backward lest he want to fall, but eventually his calves hit the edging of Nova’s bed and he was shoved roughly down onto the sheets.

Seamus brought his palm up to his lips to brush excess saliva away when his movements paused; Nova reached to the back of his neck for his collar and pulled his shirt over his chest, letting the fabric fall from his hand easily. Seamus could only blink up at the sight of _man_. Nova was _toned_ , complete with chest hair and was that drool coming out of Seamus’s mouth? The blond quickly snapped his jaw shut, shaking his head subtly as he regained his thoughts. Nova, however, shook his head with a hint of laughter before he strut up to Seamus and pushed the blond’s jacket off his shoulders to pool at his hips on the bed.

Their lips entwined as Nova stripped Seamus of his shirt, parting for only a split second before they were at it again. Nova placed his knee on one side of the blond as he moved up the bed with Seamus scooting back. In the middle of the bed, Nova lay overtop of Seamus, one hand on the blond’s stomach while the other propped himself up. Seamus had his hands feeling every inch of skin he could reach, and even brushing over the gauze gently from time to time. Nova’s back was strong from years of war—from long nights of training—and it made shivers erupt throughout Seamus’s body.

He moved his hands down, letting them clutch Nova’s ass and squeezed. Seamus was pleasantly surprised when Nova broke the kiss to exhale shakily. The blond spread his legs and lifted his right to wrap around the back of Nova’s thighs, bringing their hips together. Seamus had his hand at the front of the other’s pants before he could stop himself; unbuttoning the snap and lowering the zipper. The tent in the man’s boxers sent a pulse straight to Seamus’s own dick and he licked his lips in anticipation. He used Nova’s tender abdomen to flip their positions so now Seamus was straddling Nova’s hips, grinding his hips down keenly.

Nova grabbed hold of the blond’s hips, stroking Seamus’s thighs and thrusting his hips up in return. Seamus spread his hands over Nova’s chest, letting his fingers drag through the twine hair found there. He lowered his mouth to kiss openmouthed down Nova’s chest, brushing his fingers over the man’s nipples as he descended lower. The blond grasped each side of the other’s pants and tugged them down until they were eventually off and he tossed them away, moving his attention back to the bulge in its cotton cage.

“Get the lube since we came all the way here,” Seamus mumbled, looking up at Nova through his eyelashes. “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop once I have your dick in my mouth.”

“Hot,” Nova grinned, pushing himself on his side to lean over and open the nightstand next to the bed; digging around in the drawer before finally pulling out a bottle and tossing it to Seamus.

The blond caught it and set it on the bed next to Nova’s thigh as he stood up and dropped his own pants; letting his boxers fall with them. Seamus heard the man whistle, but paid no mind as he positioned himself on the bed as he was once before. He picked up the bottle and flicked the lid open to pour some of the substance on his hand, rubbing it between his fingers. Seamus got onto his knees, bending over Nova’s body so his ass was in the air and brought his hand behind him. Seamus teased himself, circling his opening with a jelled finger to get a feel for it—he hadn’t had sex since he broke it off with Sly.

Seamus pushed a finger passed his ring of muscle, his face creasing with distaste. As he worked himself, Seamus pulled his hair back with his unoccupied hand and kissed the head of Nova’s cock. His tongue darted out to lick the slit before he devoured the shaft. Nova’s fingers were in his hair instantly and Seamus let him take over, moving his hand to the base of the cock in his mouth. A few grunts and groans escaped the man underneath him and it made Seamus’s own cock jump with excitement. Seamus pulled his finger out of his ass, teasing with two before slipping them in together.

A hum made its way through his throat and he knew immediately when Nova felt it because the fingers in his hair pulled just so. Seamus licked the underside of Nova’s cock, feeling the vein there pulse headily with his ministrations. He sucked hard as he pulled off, using his hand to tug on the stiffness as his other moved a third finger inside of him. Seamus was getting antsy, he knew, but this was exhilarating and he was aching for release. He moved up the other man’s body, straddling his hips with a hand planted for support on Nova’s torso. Seamus fucked himself on his fingers a few more times, giving the man a show, before he pulled them out and grabbed the bottle of lube once more to grease up Nova’s thickness.

Only when Seamus was satisfied did he line up the head with his hole. The burning stretch as he was filled made Seamus pull his lips back in a minor grimace, only half feeling Nova’s hands come around his hips to solidify him. Seamus took a few seconds to himself when he was fully sitting on the other to relax, wiggling his hips back and forth for much needed stimulation. Taking in a breath, Seamus lifted himself up and ground back down, starting his pace off slow. Nova helped guide him, but for the most part, the hands on his hips were for stability.

As he started to move faster, he threw his head back, his eyes closed as he reveled in the feeling of sweat, sex and the wet slap of skin. Each grind hit the right spots inside of him, making Seamus moan out wantonly, biting and licking his lips every so often from the sensation of it all. Unfortunately, his legs began to get wobbly and when they did Nova took notice and pushed the blond off of him none too gently before turning Seamus onto his stomach and pulling him up on his hands and knees, a hand tucked between Seamus’s hips to jerk him back against the dark haired man.

Nova led his cock back into Seamus, the intrusion now much deeper and Seamus yelled out into the bed sheets, clutching them between his fingers. Nova was rough and everything Sly wasn’t. He pulled Seamus’s hair, thrust into the blond hard enough to break his hips and bruise his skin. Seamus loved it; was pretty sure he was drooling if that wasn’t proof enough. The blond could feel Nova lean over him, the dark haired man’s chest now almost flat with his back and his breath hot against Seamus’s ear as his thrusts turned short and fast.

“You like that?” he heard Nova say through gritted teeth just behind his ear, his lips ghosting over his skin.

Seamus hastily nodded, lifting his hand behind them both to hold onto Nova’s thigh; feeling each thrust delivered into him. “Oh, please. _Please_ ,” he repeated, his jaw wide open and his eyebrows creased high.

Nova pulled them up so they were on their knees, his one hand still clasped tightly on Seamus’s hip while the other turned his head sideways so the man could lick, bite and pepper kisses on the blond’s swollen lips. “I can’t hear you,” he groaned, moving his mouth to Seamus’s neck as his hand fell to twist a nipple.

Seamus lifted his arms to the back of Nova’s head as his own fell back to rest against Nova’s shoulder, letting himself be whisked away in the other man. “Cum in me,” Seamus breathed, tangling his fingers in the curly black mess that was Nova’s hair.

Said man grinned into the junction of Seamus’s shoulder and neck while his hand trailed down to tease at Seamus’s cock with sure fingers. “That’s more like it,” he praised, gripping Seamus’s stiffness and working it in his palm.

Seamus rutted against the man as Nova pounded into him, his eyes opening in a haze to stare at the ceiling until he was pulled into another kiss and Seamus moved one hand to hold onto Nova’s jaw. Tongues twirled together and it was more moans than anything, but Seamus felt alive and it was good. It wasn’t long before Nova’s thrusts became erratic and Seamus tensed as the man came inside of him, filling him with hot semen. He tugged on Seamus’s cock a few more times as he drove into the blond through his orgasm and Seamus let his flow through his body, making a mess of Nova’s hand and the bed sheets.

Nova released his iron grip on Seamus’s hip and the blond slumped on the bed as Nova pulled out, a few lines of cum following. “Shower’s through the door,” he pointed to the right side of the room lazily as he sat back on his bed, brushing a hand through his sweat matted hair.

Seamus nodded and weakly stood on his legs, hobbling over to the proclaimed bathroom and leaving Nova alone. The shower was nice; an understatement but nothing else popped into mind when Seamus took in the double showerhead, tiled shower. There was a separate bath and the blond almost melted. When he stepped in the shower with a wash cloth in hand, he nearly had a heart attack when the damn machine kicked on by itself; the water already warm. Seamus lathered himself in soap, hoping to rid himself of the smell of sex and sweat, though he’d be lying if he said he wanted to.

Ten minutes later, he stepped out feeling clean and hydrated, towel drying his hair as he stepped back into Nova’s room bare as the day he was born. In turn, Nova had a pair of boxer briefs on and was making the bed; probably having changed it. Seamus quickly disposed of the towel into the hamper on his way to picking up his own boxers, flipping his hair back over his head once he stood straight. Now what was he to do? Going back to Sly wasn’t an option—at least not right now—and pushing himself onto Dan again so close to the last time just seemed like a dick move.

Seamus had his chin in his hand, mulling over the options when a pair of strong arms circled his waste and a pair of lips found his shoulder. “Stay,” Nova murmured, grinning against Seamus’s flesh.

The blond glanced at him sideways, his hand reaching up to brush through the man’s hair. It would be better than sleeping at one of the hangouts, that was for sure. “Whatever you say, Nova.”

“James,” the man quickly replied, breathing even.

“What?”

“My name,” Nova looked up, resting his chin on Seamus’s shoulder as he smiled up at the blond.

Seamus felt his cheeks flush and his eyebrow twitch. “What about Antonio?”

“I go by several names.”

“But James is your _real_   name?” Seamus wondered incredulously. A nod and a smile were his only answer and Seamus found himself rolling his eyes. “Fine,” he answered. “James.”

Said man grinned and took Seamus by the hand and led him to the bed, letting go only long enough to climb under the covers before Seamus found himself being pulled against a warm body and a hand rounding his hips while legs weaved between his own. Despite being in the arms and in the home of the gang’s rival mob leader, Seamus felt comfortable and peaceful, his eyes heavy with sleep. He didn’t even remember dozing off, so when Seamus woke up the next morning to an empty bed in an unfamiliar place, his hackles rose.

Feet patted the hallway just outside the door, however, and the wood swung open to reveal Nova—James—in a pair of basketball shorts with a bowl of cereal in his hands, the spoon half way to his mouth. When his eyes locked with Seamus’s, the spoon fell back into the bowl and the dark haired man smiled, his eyes alight with some kind of happiness not known to Seamus. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

“That’s a gibe at my hair, isn’t it?” Seamus questioned, pulling at a few strands as he sat up, slouching.

“Not at all!” if it could, the man’s grin widened before he walked away, waving at Seamus all the while. “Cereal down stairs if you want it!”

Seamus just sat in the bed a few minutes, breathing deeply though his nose until he became irritated with the sun and moved out of bed. He threw on his clothes and walked out of the room and down the stairs, seeing James behind the island counter getting another bowl down. Seamus walked up to the counter and leaned on it heavily, letting his eyes droop.

“Can’t eat breakfast if you go back to sleep,” he heard the other man say with an amused tone.

“Can’t get poisoned if I don’t eat,” Seamus replied easily but opened his eyes nonetheless.

James clicked his tongue, giving Seamus a raised eyebrow. “I already told you I wanted you to join my gang. Why would I go and poison you?”

Seamus gave a half-hearted shrug before he pulled the ceramic bowl toward him and poured himself some cereal. James, the gentleman, splashed some milk on the grains before placing it back in the fridge and Seamus took a bite, crunching the flakes happily in his mouth. He was sure any kind of food would taste good to him at this point. He had skipped a meal the day before because Sly went on a rampage.

“Why did you decide to join a gang, anyway?” he heard James ask.

Seamus squinted at the other man in suspicion as he swallowed his cereal. “It wasn’t my first idea, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Seamus responded as he set his bowl down. “Sly kind of just sunk his teeth into me and it was hard to see anything else when I was younger.”

“Never wanted to go to college?” James inquired as he stuffed his mouth with more flakes.

Seamus shrugged, biting the inside of his lip. “I’d never liked school much anyway. I was only going cause I was forced. Passed my classes and that was it. When I graduated, I didn’t want to hear the word ‘school’ ever again.”

James made a noise at the back of his throat as he nodded, setting his own bowl down. “Don’t have any ambitions, then?”

Sure he had ambitions and dreams and all the sort. Didn’t everyone? “What does it matter?” Seamus asked a bit defensively.

James held his hands up in surrender, shaking his head. “I just mean that you’re young. Why waste your life away in a petty gang?”

Seamus felt the heat rise to his head at the words. “For one thing,” he pointed to the other. “You’re younger than me. You have no room to patronize me,” he pulled his lips back in a scowl. “And two; you have no business in my life. What I do is my own.”

“Alright,” James submitted, keeping his hands in the air until Seamus set his sight back on his bowl and finished his cereal.

The rest of the week Seamus spent at James’s apartment; each night a round of hot sex until they fell asleep in each other’s arms. James didn’t bring up Seamus’s life again, and the blond was almost regretful of his harsh words until he remembered that it wasn’t James’s business what he decided to do with his own life. James was just a mob boss like Sly. He didn’t care, and Seamus was setting himself up for disappointment again and he knew it. Around day eight at James’s apartment, Seamus left, wearing the man’s clothes and feeling a bit tiny in them. His clothes were all baggy; apparently liking the comfort of clothes rather than the appeal of them.

When he ascended the stoop to his and Sly’s town house, he could hear glass breaking on the inside and Seamus rushed to open the door, vaulting though the living room to the kitchen where he found Sly sitting at the table and a now broken bottle of whiskey on the wall opposite him. “What the fuck, Sly?!”

At the blond’s voice, Sly piped up, his face going from somber to excited in less than two seconds. “Seabear!”

Sly jumped off his chair and threw his arms around Seamus, giving the blond wet and sloppy kisses in his drunken state. “The fuck?!” Seamus yelled once more, pushing the Puerto Rican back into his chair. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Sly’s face crumbled until Seamus was sure he could see tears lining his eyes. “No one could find you for a week, Sea! Where were you?” he slurred, dipping his head as the first tears fell.

“I’m fine, Sly!” Seamus leaned over, his hands on his chest. “I’m not a child! I told you! I can take care of myself!”

Sly stood up from his chair and took Seamus’s wrists into his hands, crowding the blond up against the wall near the shattered glass. “No, Seamus,” Sly shook his head with a sudden clarity to him. “You can’t. And that’s why I’m here. _I’ll_ take care of you.”

Seamus struggled against his hold, his lips turning up into a sneer. “We’re not together anymore, Sly, remember? I’m just here for my stuff!”

Sly tugged him forward and pushed him back hard against the wall. “And just where are you gonna go, huh?! Who’s gonna house a good for nothing delinquent?!”

Seamus furrowed his eyebrows, fighting off the hurt and pain of the words. “Don’t worry about it! It’s not your place anymore!”

“It’s always been my place!” Sly screamed at him, his grip tightening on Seamus’s wrists and he knew he was going to bruise. He suddenly released his hands, though, wrapping them loosely around Seamus’s hips. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Seabear. You just scared me. You were gone for a week and I didn’t know what to do.”

Seamus swallowed around the lump in his throat, trying not to give into the tears that threatened to fall. He didn’t answer Sly and he didn’t reciprocate the hug; merely stood in Sly’s arms until the Puerto Rican pulled back and kissed him softly on the lips, coaxing Seamus into kissing back. Seamus forced his mouth open to let Sly in; anything to get away from him. It was a few minutes later that Sly actually left him, going into his room to pass out after three days of being in a drunken stupor. Seamus slid down the wall of the kitchen, not caring about the whiskey or the glass as he put his head in his hands and let the cries rip through his body.

oOoOo

Jordan knew one of these days he’d get caught and would be at the mercy of The Creatures, but Aleks was worth it. He’d do anything for the brunet, he was sure. Aleks was the definition of perfection to Jordan and he didn’t want to go another day without seeing the other, but tip-toeing though the nest of Creatures was difficult and fatal. He couldn’t exactly remember why Aleks had asked him to show up at the hangout, but Jordan was out his door before comprehending. Now he kind of wished he had listened as to why.

He was just going through a small hallway with a few doors on each side to get to Aleks’s room, when he heard their leader, SuperNova, in the room closest to him utter a frustrated sigh. Jordan stopped quickly, noticing the door was ajar. He slid up to the side and waited, planning to pass by when the other wasn’t paying attention, but what he heard made him stay a bit longer than planned.

“I’m not compromising anything,” he was talking on the phone, Jordan realized, as he heard muffled speech through the receiver before Nova went on. “Nick, you don’t understand. I need Seamus on my side. He’s smart. He’s gonna find out something’s up. Hell, he’s already on my heels!”

A bit more stifled talking and a few words Jordan could make out as “Getting too personal with the mission”, before Nova spoke again. “I need to get close. If he finds out, it’ll blow everything out of the water. And if I can get him in my ‘ _gang_ ’,” he said it with hinted air quotations. “Then I can just come out to him about this!”

Jordan scrutinized the floor as his brain worked around the words. What exactly was Nova hiding, and why did he need Seamus in all of this? “You can’t take me from this,” Nova gritted the words out though his teeth, speaking in a hushed tone. “If I leave now, Seamus is definitely gonna go into high alert and then we’ll never accomplish what we set out to do.”

If there was one thing Jordan would give props to, it would be Nova’s ability to be vague about a situation. Whatever it was, though, he needed to tell Seamus about it immediately. Jordan waited until Nova was preoccupied and then slipped passed the door, rounding the corner and slid into Aleks’s room. Said brunet was just coming out of a shower, it looked like, and man did Jordan want to go up to him and just cuddle on the bed, but he couldn’t. Not now.

His unease and distress must have been apparent on his face because the next thing he knew, Aleks was furrowing his eyebrows in worry and anxiousness. “What’s wrong, Jordan?”

“I uh,” Jordan wiped his mouth, looking about the room as he placed a hand on his hip. “I can’t stay. I have to go.”

Aleks walked up to him, placing a hand on his arm. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Jordan stared down into Aleks’s eyes and it took everything he had not to bend down and kiss the fear from his expression. “I think Seamus might be in trouble.”

oOoOo

James wasn’t sure how he was able to do it, but Seamus had managed to stay away from him for a good two weeks and it was eating him inside. What if he had found out already? What if the chance to arrest Sly slipped right through their fingers? The black haired man ran irritated hands over his face, scrubbing hard before he jogged into the Army’s military civi building. He leaned on the front desk, giving the woman there his best grin before he asked to see Major General Nick and was told to wait on the bench by the door.

James hated waiting, but he complied and sat down unrefined despite his own rank in the military. Fuck social standards. The black haired man yawned on his third minute of waiting before he was finally allowed back to see Nick. When he finally pushed open the door to the man’s office, his face lit up and he brought the man into a bear hug, patting him on the back heartily a few times before pulling back.

“Nick!” James greeted with a grin. “Good to see you again, man.”

“It’s been too many years, James,” Nick nodded back at the other before gesturing to the seat at his desk.

Both men sat down before Nick went back into General mode and the atmosphere in the room changed. “I’m taking you off the case.”

James’s eyes widened like saucers as he leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees. “You can’t do that, Nick! I told you, Seamus will get suspicious and then we’ll never have a chance at catching Sly.”

“You’ve gotten too close to him!” Nick shouted, slamming his hand on his desk. “You’re going to blow your cover and ruin it for everyone!”

“Seamus is different, Sir!” James insisted. “He wasn’t meant to be in a gang! He just got jostled in at a young age and he’s never had a reason to get out of it! I’m trying to help someone!”

“At what cost, though, James?” Nick questioned. “You think he’ll just give up his life willy-nilly for some guy who’s been _lying_   to him? Someone who’s _using_   him?!”

“I’m not using him!” James stood abruptly, the chair behind him falling to the ground creating a loud clatter causing the people in the hallway to look into the room with curious eyes. James lowered his gaze abashedly, wiping his mouth before he grabbed the chair and righted it, sitting back down. “Sorry. But you know I’d never stoop so low.”

Nick sighed, rubbing his temples. “Look at it how he would, James. He’d see it as you using him. There’s no way around it.”

James chaffed his hands, looking around the room before his gaze landed on Nick determinedly. “I have to try.”

“You have one more week before I’m pulling you,” Nick reluctantly said, turning in his chair.

James stood up and saluted. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Dismissed.”

oOoOo

Seamus had collected his things from Sly’s house and moved them to Dan’s, being eternally grateful to the man for putting him up until he could find a place of his own. He was looking, too, all over the country. He wasn’t sure that staying in the gang was something he wanted to do, but that meant he would have to move somewhere away from The Hounds. He didn’t particularly feel like dying and Sly wasn’t a very forgiving man. In his troubled time, however, the one bright light that he had found he had to keep a distance from.

The blond had started taking a new route to work, too, just to get away from James. It wasn’t like he wanted to because _damn_   that man was fine—but it was dangerous. If Sly knew about it, he would kill James and that was something Seamus did not want to happen. So even though he didn’t like to, he kept himself away from the man and kept him at a distance. He hadn’t even been going on scouting missions for a while. Not to mention Jordan came to him a night a few weeks ago in utter hysteria. Seamus wasn’t exactly sure what he had been trying to tell him that night, but Jordan hadn’t given up.

“I’m _telling_   you,” Jordan started, exasperated. “SuperNova is _using_   you.”

Seamus gave Jordan a bored look, setting down the orange juice he had been pouring. “Like I didn’t know that. Having sex with the rival gang’s leader has that perk.”

Jordan hurled his hands into his hair, throwing his head back with a deep groan. “No! I mean, there’s something he’s keeping from you! Probably from his entire group! And whatever his plan is, it involves you!”

Seamus took a few swigs of his orange juice and licked his lips before replying. “Alright, wise-guy,” he started, turning his body toward the other. “What exactly does he have planned?”

Jordan leaned over the counter, brushing his bangs off his forehead. “He just said that he needs you on his side or else his entire plan is out the door. Like you’re smart enough to catch onto whatever he’s doing and you’ll be able to stop it.”

“You think he’s buttering me up so I’ll comply,” Seamus summarized.

“I don’t _think_ , I _know_ ,” Jordan retorted. “He said something about being taken away from ‘this’,” he used air quotes. “And if he was taken, you’d think it was suspicious and try to find out what happened.”

“Well, if a large mob boss suddenly disappears, what else do you think we’re gonna do?” Seamus inquired, raising his eyebrows at Jordan.

The brunet deadpanned. “What about Chilled?”

That struck low and Seamus gritted his teeth. “Sly kept that from me. From all of us. He knew about it the entire time and said nothing.”

Jordan furrowed his eyebrows. “You don’t think _that’s_   a bit suspicious?”

“Of course it is!” Seamus agreed, slamming his cup on the counter. “But he’s a crime boss and we’re in his gang. What the hell are we gonna do about it?!”

Jordan blinked, shrugging. “Witness protection?”

Seamus’s shoulders slumped. “You think the cops can help? The cops that we pay off to look the other way?”

“Oh, right,” Jordan scratched the side of his jaw, a bit ashamed.

Seamus ran his hand over his face before he grabbed his coat. “Let’s go.”

Jordan did a double take on Seamus before he was hastily following. “Where are we going!?”

“To find out the truth,” was Seamus’s reply.

They had to walk to The Creature’s main hiding spot, but it only took fifteen minutes. The entire time, Jordan was trying to get Seamus to turn around; telling him it was a bad idea and they were going to get hurt or worse.

“He’s not going to let anything happen to me,” Seamus reassured.

“How can you be so sure?” Jordan asked dubiously.

Seamus’s step slowed as he pondered. How _did_   he know that? “It’s just the way he seemed obsessed with me. Maybe that’s the wrong word. I dunno, fuck, man,” Seamus carded his fingers through his hair. “He generally seemed interested in me.”

“You’re falling for him,” Jordan stated with a hint of wonder.

Seamus answered with a sigh and a shake of his head, dropping the conversation. If he didn’t admit it, it wouldn’t be as hard to pull himself away later. When he stepped into the hangout, coming face to face with the man he had been avoiding for the better part of two weeks, he just about ate his words. James seemed excited to see him until he took in Jordan’s profile and then his expression was tight and calculating, a question hanging in the air.

“Seamus,” James greeted, handing whatever he had been doing to a curly brunet.

“Nova,” Seamus replied. Even if James had told him to use his real name, it didn’t seem proper in this setting.

James stepped forward tentatively, his hands by his side and palms facing forward. “What’s going on?” he asked casually.

“Here to straighten something out,” the blond replied, blinking slowly as he looked to the ground and then back up again. “What plan are you hiding?”

James tilted his head, his face twisting into confusion. “I don’t know what you mean,” he answered. “Are you talking about rerouting my guns? Because that’s the only plan—“

“Stop fucking around,” Seamus yelled, startling the few others that were around. “Jordan overheard you a few weeks back. Now tell me what you have planned,” the blond reached behind him and pulled out a glock from his pants, clicking the safety off. “Or I shoot. And I know you can’t ninja your way from a bullet.”

Jordan audibly inhaled at his side while James’s eyes widened in surprise and anxiousness. “Seamus, put the gun down,” the dark haired man tip-toed closer, his hands now extended out in front of him. “No one needs to get shot.”

Seamus cocked the gun and pointed it back at James. “No one’s gonna get shot if you just tell me what you’re planning to do with me.”

James stopped walking forward, his palms still up in surrender. “I’m not planning anything with you,” his eyes widened impossibly further and he shook his head quickly. “Fuck, I mean—“

Seamus fired a round at James’s feet and the man barely blinked an eye. Seamus narrowed his own crystal orbs, cocking the gun once again. “Stop bullshitting.”

“I’m not bullshitting you, Seamus,” James replied, his jaw clenching. “I want to tell you everything, but I can’t exactly do that with a gun pointed at my head.”

“It’s actually pointed at your dick,” Seamus clarified. “Better than a bullet to the head, I think.”

“Seamus, please,” James pleaded.

“No!” the blond yelled, the gun shaking in his hand as his body lurched. “I’m tired of people keeping shit from me! I’m tired of being the last person to know _everything_! I’m tired of being _used_   and feeling like I’m worthless and nothing more than a good fuck!”

James took a few steps closer to Seamus cautiously, his expression softening to empathy. “Do you remember when I asked you what you wanted to do with your life? None of that was bullshit, Seamus. I want to help you.”

Seamus felt the tears slide down his face and he hiccupped, turning his gaze to the bottom of the underpass before they rolled back to look at James. “How can you help me?” he whimpered, his lips trembling. “You’re a mob boss. A crime lord! How the _hell_   can you help me?!”

“That’s what I want to talk about,” James stood just in front of Seamus now, a few feet away. “I want to tell you everything. Just,” he lifted his hand to the blond’s, carefully placing it over his. “Lower the gun.”

Seamus let his hand be controlled, felt his body give in and he bit back a sob, his body rocking with the motion. Jordan was sympathetic next to him, lending a supportive hand. “What can you possibly tell me that can change my mind?”

“Everything,” James smiled, looking down at Seamus fondly.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding!”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the echo of Sly’s voice, down a few paces with his entire gang behind him. A magnum rolled in his hand, a wicked smirk on his face as he paced closer. “What did you do to my Seamus?”

Said blond instinctively stepped in Sly’s line of sight in front of James, his hand on his glock tightening. “What are you doing here, Sly?”

“Following my Seabear,” Sly said in a coo. “I have to protect what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours! I already told you that!” Seamus yelled back.

“Stop denying us, Seamus,” Sly pouted, stopping his stride thirty feet away. “You know you need me. You don’t need him. He’s bad news bears!”

Seamus struggled with his anger, the gun in his hand shaking as his body trembled. “I don’t need you _or_   him!”

“Seamus,” James started, extending a hand toward the blond.

“NO!” Sly screamed, raising his gun in pure rage, his face twisting in fury. “Keep your hands off my Seamus!”

“Sly, no!” Seamus lifted his hand, but the sound of the shot still rang though the junction of the underpass.

Seamus heard a body fall behind him and he quick turned to look behind him where James was once standing, now slumped on his side on the ground. Screaming, Seamus raised his own gun and fired twice at Sly, feeling no sense of exhilaration when both bullets pierced his chest. Everything was a mess after that. Both The Hounds and The Creatures scrambled, running for the hills when sirens erupted through the air. The blond only turned his attention back to James after he was sure Sly was down for the count. Jordan had abandoned his side, but he was sure he was somewhere protecting Aleks.

Seamus fell to his knees, his cheeks stained with tears once more as he took in James’s crumpled form, blood oozing out of his wound. “James,” Seamus mumbled, his hands shaking in front of him in hesitance to actually touch the other.

“Seamus,” James reached toward him and that was the breaking point.

Seamus brought James into his arms, resting the man’s back on his knees as he cradled James’s upper body close. “Don’t you dare,” Seamus sobbed, pressing a hand against the bullet wound that had hit in James’s left shoulder. “Don’t you dare leave me after saying you were gonna tell me the truth.”

“Everything I said,” James coughed, blood spitting from his mouth as he did so. “I mean it. I wanted to help you. Get you out of this life.”

“Stop saying shit like you’re leaving,” Seamus urged, shaking his head. “You’re not leaving!”

“You’re still so young, Seamus,” James’s voice was but an utterance now. “Don’t keep yourself in this waste of a life. Make … make something out of yourself.”

A sob ripped through Seamus’s body and he jerked with it, clutching James tighter. “I—I will! I promise.”

“Good,” James nodded weakly, his eyes closing. “If you’re offered a second chance,” he breathed slowly, opening his eyes and carefully lifting his hand to cup Seamus’s cheek. “If you’re ever offered a second chance, take it.”

“Only if you’re there with me!” he cried, pressing down harder on the bullet wound.

James flinched at the pressure, his face twisting in pain. “You have to live for you, Seamus,” he muttered. “Do … what makes you happy.”

The hand at his jaw fell to the ground and Seamus stopped breathing, turning his eyes from the hand to James’s face, now relaxed and pain free. “James?!” Seamus screamed, shaking the man in his arms. “James!”

Seamus startled awake, a breathing mask placed over his face and white pristine walls surrounding him. Frenetic with the knowledge that James was not anywhere near him, Seamus sat up in the bed he was placed on, ripping the mask off his face and the IV out of his arm. The heart monitor flat-lined as he took the piece off his finger and stood on his wobbly legs. He needed to find James—needed to make sure he was alright. He stumbled out of his room, highly aware that he was in hospital shorts and a gown but giving no fucks as he made his way down the hall until he found a sign to guide him to the ICU. If James was out of surgery, that’s where he’d be. Seamus didn’t want to think of the morgue. Not yet.

Seamus was just about to the ICU hall when he heard hurried footsteps coming closer. He turned into a janitor’s closet and waited for them to pass before he ventured back out, looking both ways before going on. Police? Seamus shook his head. They looked more like military guards. What in the flying fuck were they doing in the hospital? Seamus mulled over the question for all of two minutes until he came up to the ICU hall, seeing the same men standing in front of two others. The blond watched them switch out, the two men that had passed him now keeping watch on a room.

Seamus narrowed his eyes and hid behind the door as the men that were once guarding the room walked by. Then like a light bulb, Seamus remembered that James had been in the military. But that didn’t explain why they were guarding his room—unless he had never left or they were going to arrest him. Seamus had to know for sure and now with the addition of guards, getting into that room was going to be a lot more difficult. And it might not have even been James’s room. The blond saw his opportunity roll by him; a nurse with a cart of meals and passing doctors.

He made the nurse trip on his foot, and she in turn went crashing into a few doctors. It got the men’s attention, nodding to each other before they galloped over to lend a hand. Seamus darted passed them, skipping into the room and shutting the door silently behind him. He didn’t have much time, he knew, but it was enough. Seamus steadied himself with a breath before he turned around and walked further into the room to get a look at the face of the person in the bed. Like a flood, relief washed over Seamus and his knees felt weak as he took in James’s face, covered in a breathing mask and wrapped in a hospital blanket from shoulder to toe all except for his arms.

Seamus walked over, grasping James’s hand tightly in his own, bringing the man’s fingers to his mouth to kiss individually before he rested them on his forehead. “Thank God.”

The blond pulled down James’s bedding and found the dark haired man’s chest wrapped in gauze, blood and puss staining the fabric. He was hurt, but he was alive. The bullet must have _just_   missed his heart. He was a lucky bastard. Seamus smiled widely as silent tears came to his eyes. Seamus didn’t realize he had lingered too long until the door to the room opened and the men from before came barreling in.

“You’re not permitted to be here,” one of them said as the other came over and grabbed Seamus by his biceps and hauled him up.

“This is the one that was brought in with him,” the other said, struggling with his hold on Seamus as the blond jerked and twisted.

“Major General Nick wanted to see him as soon as he was awake,” the taller one nodded, ushering them all out of the room.

Seamus didn’t want to leave; wanted to be there when James woke up. He, however, found himself back in his room, cuffed to the damn cot and given a paper cup of water as he waited for the man in charge, or so he assumed. There were men outside of his own door, now, so even though he could pick his way out of the cuff, he wouldn’t be able to get passed the guards lest he wish to break his spine jumping from the window that was four stories up.

It was only ten minutes later before the man in question arrived, bringing the men guarding Seamus’s room in with him. “Seamus, O’doherty.”

“That’s me,” Seamus quipped before he straightened, his eyes opening just a bit wider as he looked up at the man hopefully. “How is James? How bad was the shot?”

The man, shaggy hair with a grizzly beard, didn’t acknowledge the question, merely gestured for one of the men to tend to Seamus. “You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. If you—“

“You’re arresting me?!” Seamus shouted as he was jostled from the cot, the handcuff being unlocked and then secured around his other hand as his arms were placed behind his back. “Isn’t that in the cops’ jurisdiction?!”

“Not when it comes to this,” the shaggy haired man replied. “Now if you’ll calmly step out. We’ll get you some clothes and then a hot meal before you’re taken to your cell.”

“Cell?!” Seamus struggled against the guy pushing him out the door. “Hold on! Where’s your warrant?!”

The blond wasn’t given an answer as he was forced out the door and eventually out of the hospital, given a hat as the media flocked them. He was put in the back of an SUV, the two men and Major General accompanying him. “This has already gotten out of hand,” the man said with an annoyed sigh, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose.

“What the hell is ‘ _this_ ’ exactly?!” Seamus questioned aloud, looking between each man.

“As soon as we arrive at the Civi building, I’ll explain everything. For now, keep your shorts on and sit tight,” the Major General supplied, turning to some files that were on the seat next to him.

Seamus felt like he had sat in the back of that SUV for far too long; his ass was beginning to numb and his arms ached from an extended amount of time being tied behind his back. They had stopped once at Dan’s house, getting some clothes for him before they continued their journey to the Civi building. Whatever the hell that was.

It turned out to be a military civilian building where the Major General and the two goons worked. Seamus was led into a secured bathroom, his hands being freed from the cuffs so he could dress himself. The window was barred, so he couldn’t exactly escape, but he didn’t exactly want to. If the military was gonna be after him, it was better to just give up. The military was everywhere and had an unknown amount of resources to find him. The only way would be to flee the country and Seamus didn’t know any language except English.

He dressed in his clothes quickly, grabbing the gown and shorts as an afterthought before he exited the bathroom. The excess clothes were taken from him before he was led down a hallway and into an interrogation room. They left him in the room alone and Seamus guessed he was waiting for the grizzly looking man from earlier. He glared at the double sided mirror before slouching down in the chair provided for him, resting his forehead on the table. His thoughts drifted to James, laying in that hospital bed and he wondered how long he had been out; how long had it been since they were taken to the hospital?

Seamus only realized he was dozing off when the door to the interrogation room slammed open and he jolted from his spot, his forehead sticking to the metal table that undoubtedly left a red mark on his skin. He watched groggily as the grizzly man strode to the other side of the table and sat down, appraising Seamus before he threw down a stack of files that meant little to the blond.

“Is that supposed to intimidate me? Because it doesn’t,” Seamus said dryly, leaning back in his chair.

“This is all the work we’ve been doing for two years now,” the man supplied, opening a manila file and pulling out a few pieces of paper to spread along the table.

Seamus’s interest was piqued when he took in the picture of Chilled and Sly on a couple of the papers. He leaned forward and pulled the papers closer to him to inspect. The other man continued. “Chilled, as you called him, or Second Lieutenant Anthony, was murdered longer than six months ago.”

“Chilled was a military bastard?!” Seamus asked shocked, forgetting to filter his mouth.

The grizzly man, Major General Nick as his uniform read, gave Seamus a distasteful look before continuing. “Yes, and he was murdered by your gang leader, Sly.”

Seamus’s eyebrows furrowed. “Sly?”

Nick nodded. “We just didn’t have sufficient evidence to prove it.”

“Why was Chilled there in the first place?” Seamus wondered, pointing to the picture of the man on the table.

Nick’s eye twitched. “He acquired a taste for the gang life. We didn’t realize it until it was too late.”

Seamus narrowed his own eyes, turning his head a bit. “That’s the only reason? So I guess the drugs Sly got off the boats meant nothing to you guys?”

Nick grumbled low in his throat, crossing his arms. “James was right; you are pretty smart.”

“Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to fit pieces together,” Seamus replied.

“That’s right,” Nick nodded. “The drugs Sly contracted and supplied throughout the city were from Africa and it’s a lethal substance. Not only that, but it was being shipped overseas by pirates.”

“Then shouldn’t this be the Coast Guards job? Not the Army’s?” Seamus wondered, honestly curious.

“It’s only the Coast Guard’s job if it’s on the water or the Coast,” Nick answered. “Once it became shored, it was our problem.”

“So you sent Chilled—Anthony—in to get dirt on Sly and Sly must have caught on, which is why Anthony is now dead,” Seamus clarified. “That sound about right?”

“Exaclty,” Nick agreed.

“And when Anthony went missing, you sent in James, if that is his real name, and he’s almost in the same spot as Anthony,” Seamus clicked his tongue and rubbed his mouth with his palm, looking to the ceiling. “Don’t you guys learn your lesson?!”

“That’s what James was trying to do by getting you on his side,” Nick explained, sighing and resting his elbows on the table in front of him.

“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing,” Seamus would have laughed in any other situation.

“It was,” the shaggy haired man griped. “Getting close to you put James in the ICU. Getting close to you almost blew our entire cover. Something we’ve put a lot of time into.”

“And look at where all that work has gotten you!” Seamus shouted, gesturing to the table full of papers. “Why are you even telling me this?!”

“James woke up in the ambulance,” Nick muttered and it made Seamus quiet instantly. “He wanted you to have a second chance. Wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“So what? You’re gonna offer me a deal if I can give you any information?” Seamus felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. “Well, so sorry for you, but I don’t have anything. All I know is that Sly had lied to me when he told me he didn’t know Chilled had gone missing. That’s it,” Seamus slumped in his seat, waving his hand. “You’re better off asking Kootra—asking Jordan.”

“Sly didn’t keep an office of any sort?” Nick probed, standing.

Seamus squeezed his eyes shut, running his fingers over his brow. “Uhh, fuck,” he strained for the information. “He did keep one. Just off of Central. Jordan or Dan can take you there.”

“You’re not volunteering?” Nick asked with a hint of amusement.

Seamus visibly tensed, trying not to recall memories to the forefront of his mind. “I’d rather not go back there.”

Nick eyed Seamus carefully before he gathered the papers up neatly and exited the room, leaving the blond to wallow. So, from this, Seamus could conclude that James was still in the military. What was his rank? Why did he want to be put on such a dangerous and idiotic mission? Seamus tousled his hair indignantly before he slammed his head against the metal of the table. This was so fucked up, but at least his questions were getting answers now. They just didn’t seem to be the ones he expected.

Seamus was given a room in the basement of the Civi building for the first few days after his initial ‘arrest’. After that, he was moved to a military camp where he was able to meet up with Jordan, Dan, Aleks and the curly brunet he had seen with James on that fateful day. Though, the man—Steven—was in uniform, not actually a delinquent and in reality a very expert bomb technician.

He stayed there comfortably for a month before he was shoved into one of those black SUVs once again and driven back to the Civi building. It was unplanned and rushed and Seamus wished to grab at his long hair that had been gone since his arrival at the military base. He didn’t get a buzz cut thankfully, but it was short now; Seamus missed his shoulder length hair. So instead, he leaned his head on the back of the seat until they arrived and he was being ushered out of the car and into another interrogation room.

This time the wait wasn’t that long, though, and Seamus was almost grateful until his breath was stolen at the sight of the man entering the room. James looked tired, but determined as he shut the door to the room with his good hand; the other being in a sling. Seamus jumped out of his chair, his mouth slack as he tried to voice everything that was roaring through his mind until the easiest of emotions came to the forefront; anger.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he took in the medals and badges on the other’s uniform. “First lieutenant Wilson? Or should I call you _James_?”

James flinched, but he took his seat across from Seamus and waited for the blond to sit down before he began. “I’m,” he cleared his throat. “I’m doing my job.”

“Your job?” Seamus asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Was it your job to get under my skin? To fuck me and make me believe you gave a damn about me? Huh? Was that your job, too?!”

James let out a frustrated breath, turning around to the double sided mirror and waving a hand over his throat as if to say ‘cut’. Seamus narrowed his eyes at that. “No, that wasn’t part of my job,” James replied honestly, looking up into Seamus’s blue eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t give a damn about you.”

“Then what did it mean? Because all I’m hearing is bullshit,” Seamus crossed his arms.

“What I said that day is and always will be the truth, Seamus,” James gave, holding out his hand on the table with his palm up. “You shouldn’t have been involved in that gang. Shouldn’t have been involved with Sly and it fucking sucks that you were and now here we are.”

“And what is the truth, James?” Seamus found himself muttering, his eyebrows furrowing on his forehead. “What’s the actual truth? Who are you?”

James cleared his throat again, looking away briefly before returning his gaze to Seamus. “Like you said. First lieutenant of the U.S. Army.”

Seamus dropped his head in his hands and dragged them down his face as he looked back up. “So you’re nineteen and a First lieutenant? I’m supposed to believe that?”

“Right, well,” James scratched the back of his neck. “My actual age is twenty four.”

Seamus threw his hands in the air dramatically. “Twenty four! Holy tap-dancing Christ.”

“Seamus, listen to me,” James urged, leaning forward. “You have two options right now.”

“And they are?” Seamus inquired, leaning his head in his hand with an elbow on the table.

“Go to jail,” Seamus paled. “Or join the Army.”

Seamus looked at James as if he had grown two heads. “Join the _Army_?!” he yelled. “Are you _serious_?!”

“Completely,” James nodded. “Seamus, this is your second chance. Don’t waste it.”

“Just mine!?” Seamus stood, placing a hand on the table while the other extended toward the door but his philosophical reach was beyond that. “And what about the other guys?! Jordan and Dan and Aleks!?”

James bobbed his head, as if he expected the outburst. “They’ll all be given the same option, too. Seamus, all you have to do is join the army for the probation period and then you can quit and make a life for yourself.”

“How long is the probation period?” the blond wondered.

“It’s two years,” James enlightened. “And that’s a steal compared to a lifetime in prison.”

“I dunno,” Seamus shrugged, half joking. “Three meals a day, a roof and all the sex I could want. Sounds pretty tempting.”

James narrowed his eyes at the blond. “Seamus, they rape in prison. They don’t have sex.”

“I’m sure they’re more civilized than you give them credit for,” Seamus argued. He took a moment to mull it over, ultimately nodding his head. “Where do I sign up?” Seamus had missed that elated look on James’s face, that was for sure.

In the end, he’d had to get more of his hair cut off, but in two years, he’d be able to grow it out and that thought alone gave him the strength to go on. He was passed through different offices and buildings alike, making his way into service as a private of the U.S. Army, something he had never once dreamed of doing. The first year was going to be devoted to physical training in a boot camp and Seamus was just so ready to get it over with. It happened, however, that he was better than most of the other cadets. He assumed that life on the streets had done at least one good thing for him. It wasn’t long after that, too, that Seamus found himself earning ranks.

Seamus was Private First Class within six months and his superior officers were astounded by his jump in power. Seamus wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about it all, but it was good training his muscles and it was nice having decent meals every day. After the year had passed, Seamus was sent overseas to Hawaii where he and a team were grouped for a small expedition. The mission lasted for three months and in that time, Seamus’s superiors were happy to announce his rank up as Specialist. And that’s when shit really hit the fan.

Seamus was called to be second on missions, was asked his opinions on situations and ideas he had. At one point, Seamus found Jordan in the barracks on a mission in Colorado and they caught up. Jordan and Aleks were put into different squads, but they still wrote letters to each other. It was nice visiting with him, but the mood turned foul when Jordan asked about James. In all honesty, Seamus hadn’t heard from him since that day in the Civi building. After he was handed over to the military, Seamus had caught not a word of the other; not even through the chain of command. But then again, that could have been due to the fact that James was stationed in Illinois.

After his brief visit with Jordan, Seamus didn’t hear from the rest of them at all; not having gotten Jordan’s information to send him letters. After his two years of contracted service was up, Seamus was allotted the title of Corporal and given a month to think his decision over if he wanted to stay in the army or if he wanted to be discharged. The blond ended up taking an apartment in his old city, albeit downtown from The Hound’s area. The gang was now disbanded as was The Creatures. From what he had heard, Sly had survived the bullets to his chest and was sent to prison for life. Seamus was relieved from the news, but he still felt a bit tense in the city.

It was a late day for Seamus, one day in August as he was pouring himself some milk in a glass, having just made breakfast even though it was early afternoon. He was going out with Jordan and Aleks later on; being surprised when Jordan had phoned him a few days ago saying he and Aleks were in the area as well and wanted to catch up. Still no word from Dan, but Jordan assured Seamus that he decided to stay in the Army as a medic and Seamus just snickered. It was good the man had finally found his calling; he had always wanted to be a doctor after all.

Seamus had just sat down at his breakfast nook and turned on the tv when there came a knock at his door. Grumbling, Seamus set down his fork and patted over to the door. He threw it open, expecting to yell at the interruption of his breakfast when he was shoved back into his apartment and crowded against the door, closing it with his body weight as his assailant moved him. Seamus was about ready to lay down some of the moves he had learned in the military when he realized they would probably do little against one James Wilson.

Seamus’s eyes widened in surprise as he took in the other’s appearance, the man now twenty six with a curly mess of hair atop his head; the same length it had been two years ago and a beard to boot. He didn’t change one bit, and it stung somewhere deep in Seamus. He brought up his hand and James must have expected him to cup his jaw, but Seamus clenched his fingers tight into a fist and socked him good against his cheek, knocking the man to the ground.

“You fucking asshole!” Seamus screamed. “Two fucking years with _no_   contact and you just expect me to welcome you with open arms?!”

Despite the angry red mark forming on James’s face, the man was grinning wildly, an overjoyed expression on his person. “Nice to see you, too, Seamus.”

James got to his feet and Seamus beat on his chest a few times in frustration. James let him. “You fucking asshole. Just walk back into my life like nothing happened and I can’t even be mad for ten minutes.”

“I must just be that awesome,” James grinned confidently.

“You’re lucky the military took all my artillery,” Seamus biffed James’s shoulder, only then taking in the badges and buttons that upgraded and changed. “Colonel, huh?”

James glanced down at his badge and looked back up at Seamus sheepishly. “Yeah, got a bit more under my belt now. But then again, so do you, Corporal.”

Seamus’s face heated as he looked away, moving from foot to foot as he crossed his arms. “So—“

He was cut off by James shoving him into the door once more, pressing his mouth against the blond’s urgently. Seamus unwound his arms to bring them around James’s neck and pull him closer as the dark haired man’s own arms circled around Seamus’s hips, lifting him up onto the door. Seamus wrapped his legs around James’s waist as they kissed, their breath hot and just so familiar. Seamus broke the kiss after a short while, resting his forehead on top of James’s, letting a satisfied grin take his lips.

“You know it’s illegal to date a superior officer,” Seamus reprimanded, flicking James’s ear.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not in my squad, then,” James retorted with a smirk of his own before he kissed the blond blissfully again.


End file.
